Imagination Builder: Lego's Architecture Series

Seattle Space Needle

Over the years, I've interviewed several architects who admitted their enduring love for Legos. One Danish designer — who grew up near the Lego factory in Billund — even cited the humble bricks as the direct inspiration for his in-demand prefabs. Yesterday I received a wonderful gift: a Seattle Space Needle kit from Lego's architecture series, which includes several iconic buildings.

I never played much with Legos when I was a kid, which perhaps explains why I write about design rather than actually design and build things. But if I ever have kids, and they show the slightest inkling of interest in Legos, I will buy them every set their hearts desire, with a little extra nudging toward the architecture series. From free-form building to following blueprints, Legos challenge kids (and grown-ups, too) to dream big.

This morning, I took a closer look at the Space Needle box and was relieved to see there are only 57 pieces. The suggested age is 10 and up, so I'm optimistic that I can build this thing and display it in my office. However, if I stumble, I've got at least a half-dozen architects on speed dial to help me out.